Vegeta vs Yamamoto
Vegeta moaned as he rubbed the base of his neck. His neck was sore like the rest of his body. For the last few days, Squad 10 has been buried in paperwork. This wasn't new for Squad 10. But with the combination of days of paperwork, deadlines and little sleep, it was taking its toll on the saiyan prince. At 51 years old, he wasn't as young as he used to be. Plus the years of countless battles and pushing his body to the limit through training didn't help either. Although he was still in good shape, every now and then, his age and life experiences got to him. Normally a day of rest would fix all of that, but he couldn't rest whilst Squad 10 needed him. So he had grinned and bared it up until now when he was really starting to feel the discomfort.
Toushiro: "You ok, Vegeta?"
Toushiro was concerned for his second lieutenant. It wasn't often that he saw Vegeta in any kind of discomfort. The saiyan prince was the fittest person in the Seireitei, or at least that Toushiro knew. So when the saiyan shows discomfort or pain, Toushiro takes notice pretty quickly. He knew why Vegeta was this way, even he was felling a bit stiff and sore from these last few days. But there one was another contributor, something Toushiro just didn't like to think about. He was just getting old. Vegeta glanced up at his young captain.
Vegeta: "Yeah, just a little stiff. I'm not as young as I used to be."
Toushiro whined at that remark.
Vegeta: "Oh stop whining, Toushiro! I've still got about 20 or more years left in me. By then you'll be tired of me."
Toushiro still groaned.
Toushiro: "I'll never be tired of you, Vegeta."
They continued to work until 7 at night. That was when they finally finished ALL of the paperwork.
Toushiro: "Finally!"
The young captain stretched with joy! He was glad that they had finished. Vegeta was happy too, as happy as someone with an aching body could be. Toushiro saw that his saiyan friend was in some real discomfort. There had to be a way to help.
Toushiro: "What would you normally do to relieve your discomfort, Vegeta?"
Vegeta: "Well, I'd either rest for a full day or relax in a tub of hot water."
Toushiro: "Which worked the best?"
Vegeta: "The hot water. But there isn't a tub here big enough for me so I'll just chill for a whole day."
Toushiro: "Why don't you just go to the hot springs?"
Vegeta suddenly looked at Toushiro with a confused and surprised face. Toushiro knew that look. It was Vegeta's 'what did you say' face.
Toushiro: "Aren't you aware of the hot springs?"
Vegeta: "No, I didn't know that there were hot springs here."
Toushiro: "I'm surprised to hear that. It's open to all members of the 13 Court Guard Squads. I don't usually go cause I hate the heat, but I would go there once in awhile to relax from stress."
Vegeta: "Then why haven't I seen you go there yet?"
Toushiro: "Cause you've been my stress reliever. But I think we both need it right now. You wanna go?"
Vegeta: "Sure."
And Toushiro took Vegeta to the hot springs at all of the captains and lieutenants used. And it was a perfect evening too. The night sky was clear and full of stars. The air was the perfect temperature for the hot springs so that you weren't cold when you got out. But best of all, the Squad 10 captain and second lieutenant were done with all of their work and could now relax. Toushiro was the first one to enter the hot spring and Vegeta followed right behind him. The saiyan prince gave out a huge sigh of comfort once he had settled in the hot soothing water. He could feel all of the pain, discomfort and stress begin to leave his body and muscles. It was just what he needed.
Vegeta: "Aahhh! Just what the doctor ordered!"
Toushiro chuckled. He started to feel good too now that Vegeta was feeling good. The bond Toushiro had with the saiyan prince was so strong that whatever Vegeta felt, he felt too. If the saiyan felt stressed, he felt stressed. If he was happy, he felt happy. If Vegeta was sad, he felt sad. What was interesting about that is that everyone could see this, but Toushiro seemed completely clueless about it. But no one says anything. If it made the once stingy young captain happy, why ruin it? As they sat there, they just chatted. They were unaware that they were about to get a visitor.
Toushiro: "So is there a reason why you're waring your swim-trunks in here, and if there is, do I wanna know why?"
Vegeta: "Yes there is a reason and, no, you DON'T want to know why."
Toushiro: "Good enough for me!"
Toushiro had learned that if Vegeta says he probably doesn't want to know, then he doesn't want to know. Just as they laughed at the young captain's comment, another hot spring goer came in and Toushiro panicked when he saw who it was! Vegeta just looked at the child prodigy with a raised eyebrow. Why was he scared?
Toushiro: "Uh-oh!"
Toushiro was scared of this person for a good reason. If you stayed in the hot spring with this person, you were either crazy or you wanted to take a REALLY HOT bath!
Toushiro: "Head-Captain Yamamoto!"
Yamamoto: "Ah... Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Vegeta. Mind if I join you?"
Toushiro tried to warn Vegeta, but he didn't want to risk Yamamoto seeing him so he did it subtly. A little too subtly.
Vegeta: "No, not at all."
Toushiro: "No! Vegeta!"
But it was too late. Yamamoto was preparing to get in the water.
Vegeta: "What's wrong with you? Are you not allowed to sit in the same hot spring as the Head-Captain or something?"
Toushiro: "No, that's not it! No one stays with Yamamoto in the hot springs because he uses his power to raise the heat of the water to an unbearably level! Trust me! I learned this first hand!"
Vegeta: "Oh come on, Toushiro! It couldn't have been that bad-"
Toushiro: "HE NEARLY COOKED ME!"
And Yamamoto dipped into the water. Just as his Head-Captain settled down, Toushiro quickly got out to avoid a repeat of last time! But when he looked back, he saw Vegeta still sitting there.
Toushiro: "Vegeta, didn't you hear me!"
Vegeta: "Yeah I heard you, but I'm gonna stay."
Toushiro just looked at his friend with a completely shocked expression! Just what was going through Vegeta's mind? Vegeta suddenly felt the water heat up and looked at the old man.
Yamamoto: "You're very brave to stay, Vegeta. But I think you've bitten off more than you can chew this time."
Vegeta: "Ha ha... We'll see, old man. Never underestimate a saiyan."
And minutes went by. Toushiro just watched from a smaller spring next to them. Yamamoto was steadily increasing the temperature of the hot spring, but Vegeta was holding firm. Eventually the temperature was at the level that everyone couldn't bare any longer and that nearly cooked Toushiro alive all those years ago. And yet Vegeta was unfazed. Toushiro just smirked at the sight with a huff. He could not believe it and neither could Yamamoto. Yamamoto raised the temperature to as high as he dared! Vegeta... Just sat there with a calm smirk. The old man was stunned!
Yamamoto: "Don't you feel anything?"
Vegeta: "Not even close, old man!"
Yamamoto: "I give... How hot does the water have to be to make you get out?"
Vegeta: "Above this."
And Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyan! His energy heated the water up to where it literally started to boil! The saiyan gave the old man an evil smile. It had dawned on him earlier that Yamamoto was trying to get rid of him from this spring. But there were many other springs around this one, and he and Toushiro were here first. Toushiro watched in utter disbelief as the Head-Captain grew more and more uncomfortable until it was just too much for him!
Yamamoto: "Ok! You win, Vegeta! I'll just go to another one."
And the old man got out and went to another hot spring. Right after Yamamoto got out, Vegeta reverted back to his normal state. Within a minute the water temperature was back to its normal level. Vegeta waved for the young captain to rejoin him and Toushiro didn't hesitate. As he got back in next to Vegeta, Toushiro still couldn't believe what he had just seen!
Toushiro: "If I hadn't seen that with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! That was incredible, Vegeta!"
Vegeta: "Like I said, never underestimate a saiyan."
Toushiro: "Especially the Saiyan Prince!"
The End.